Motion-picture film reel band



April 7, 1953 E. s. MILLER MOTION-PICTURE FILM REEL BAND Filed NOV. 20,1947 I JNVENTOR. Z/[sworifi S. mil/er Kiwof rivets positioned in thepaper.

Patented Apr. 7, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT-OFFICE MOTION-PICTURE FILMREEL BAND Ellsworth s. Miller, Detroit, Mich, Application November 20,1947, Serial No. 787,149 3 Claims. (01. 206-53) 1 This invention relatesto the motion picture industry, and more particularly to an improvedfilm reel band to maintain the film in wrapped relation on a reel, andto provide a more readily accessible indication as to what film is woundon a particular reel.

It is common practice to wrap a strip of heavy "paper about the film ona reel and to secure it in place by a string wrapped about one of aseries This practice is not satisfactory because the paper strip wearsrapidly and becomes soiled due to the repeated handling required both inthe projection booths andin the film exchanges, and frequently thestring breaks or the rivets pull out of the paper or the strings of anumber of bands become tangled. Also it is difiicult to distinguish theidentifying information relative to a particular feature embodied on thefilm of a sequence of reels, and to readily determine the propersequence of the reels. Attempts'have been made to overcome certain ofthese difficulties by the use of steel or other metal bands to surroundthe film on a reel, but these attempts have not proved satisfactorybecause the metal band both injures the filmand is dangerous to handle,andsuch bands arerelatively expensive to manufacture.

' An object of this inventionis therefore to pro- 1vide a plastic motionpicture film reel band that can be economically produced, and whichpossesses suificient inherent elasticity to securely hold the film inplace on the reel, and which is sufficiently resilient that it will notinjure the film.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a filmreel band of any desired configuration that can be economically formedof plastic material by an extruding process to provide fiat strips whichcan be shipped in the flat .form and rolled by the application of heatto provide a band of desired diameter at the point where the film reelbands are to be placed in service.

Another object of the invention is to provide a film reel band formed ofplastic material, having longitudinally extending corrugations, that canbe extruded as a straight strip and cut to suitable lengths to providebands of desired diameters to accommodate reels of different sizes.

Yet a further object is to provide a plastic film reel band formed ofstraight stock that can be heated as by immersing it in hot water torender it pliable to permit it to be wrapped about a suitable form ofthe desired diameter and which may then be immersed in cold waterto'induce the band to attain a permanent set.

Still another object resides in the provision of a film reel band formedof non-corrosive material that will not injure film even when stored infilm vaults for relatively long periods of time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a plastic film reel bandthat can be formed of different colored plastics to indicate differentproducers or theatrical circuits, and which may have a section at eachend roughened as by a sand blasting operation to provide a space forwriting 7 the name of the feature picture shown on the film,

and wherein a color code marked on the bands by plastic dies may beemployed to indicate the sequence of the reels.

A further object of the invention is to provide a relatively springyplastic film reel band having circumferentially extending stiffeningcorrugations whereby to flex the band it is necessary to stress theouter edge of the band in compression and to stress the inner edge intension, it being possible to rejuvenate the band if it loses itstension by heating it and wrapping it about a suitable form andthereafter chilling it to induce it to againattain a set to regain its10st tension.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear in thefollowing description and appended claims; reference being had to theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, wherein likereference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a film reel band embodying thisinvention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a reel having film wound thereon,showing my improved film .reel band in operative relation thereon.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the step ,of extruding myimproved film band as a fiat strip.

Fig. 5 is a perspective. view illustrating the step Referring now moreparticularly to Figs. 1 and 2 it will be noted that my improved filmreel band H] is cylindrical in shape, and has a plurality of spacedcircumferentially extending stiffening corrugations l2 formed on oneside thereof, and if desired may have overlapping ends M and it. Asillustrated in Fig. 3, the band I is adapted to fit between the spacedflanges l8 and 20 of a film reel 22 having a hub 24 about which film 26is wrapped. The band lilis preferably of approximately the same Width asthe distance between the flanges l8 and 20 to permit contact with thefilm over its entire width to maintain the film smooth and flat onthe-reel.

The corrugations [2 are preferably positioned inwardly, but if desiredthey may be'positioned.

outwardly to dispose a smooth surface incontact with the film 26 on thereel 22.

The reel 22 may be of any suitabletype; butv is preferably shown asbeing of the type disclosed in my Patent-Number 2,220,610 issuedNovember 5, 1940.

My improved plastic film band [0 is preferably extruded as a flat strip28 asillustrated in Fig. 4. The dimensions of the fiat strip can ofcourse be varied as necessary to provide a band having the desiredwidth, andnumber and spacing of corrugations l2; and the thickness ofthestock and the depth of corrugations-can ofcourse also be varied toprovide a band having the desired characteristics by changing thecontour of the extruding die outlet. The band may be formed of anyplastic material but is preferably formed of one capable of beingextruded and possessing the characteristics of becoming pliable whensubjected to heat so that a flat strip can be shaped to provide thedesired substantially cylindrical band, and attaining asetwhenthereafter subjected to reduced temperature. suitable thermoplasticmaterials are various of the styrenes, methylacrylates such as Plexiglasand Lucite, cellulose acetate butyrates such as tenite, vinyl chloridessuch as Koroseal, polystyrenes such as the lustrous, andtheethylcellulose products.

After the fiat strip has been formed itmay be cut to suitable lengthsto. form filmreelbands N3 of the desired diameters, and beshippedto thepoint of use such-for: example as to. a film exchange. The fiat strips.28: maybe economically packaged and shipped since virtually no wastespace is encountered since the corrugations of two strips maybepositioned; toward each other and intermesh.-

When it is desired to form a flatstrip 28.- into a film reel band Ill,the strip may be heated in any convenient manner as by immersing. it inhot water to render the plastic. material pliable. When a desired degreeof pliabilityhas beenattained, the strip 28. maybe wrapped around asuitable form such for example'as a cylinder 30 illustrated in Fig. of adiameter corresponding with the desired diameter of the band. Thecylinder 38 with the band 18 in place thereon'may then be subjected todecreased temperature in anyconvenient manner-as byimmersing in coldwater to inducethe plastic material to attain a, set. The band It maythen be removed from. the cylinder 30 whereupon it is ready for use.

If desired the ends of the band l0 may be formed to a smaller radiusthan the midseetion so that the inner end will more tightly-contact filmwrapped on thereel 22, and so. that the outer end will more tightly.contact.themidsection; of the band. This maybe accomplished by. con.-

Examples of touring a portion of the cylinder 30 so that the inner endof the band may be wrapped thereon to the desired reduced diameter.After the band has been formed with the inner end shaped to the desiredreduced diameter the band may be reversed, and the other end of the bandagain heated as by immersing it in hot water and thereafter Wrapping itabout the cylinder 36 with the end that was formerly disposed outwardlypositioned in the inwardlycontoured portion of the cylinder 30. The bandmay again be subjected to reduced temperature as by submerging it incold water to again induce it to attain a set whereupon bothends willembody the desired reduced diameter curvature.

It will also be apparent that if desired a flat plate having a spiralgroove therein may be employed to receive the strip 28 after it has beenheated as discussed above to provide the desired curvature of the bandin lieu of the cylinder 30 illustrated in Fig. 5.

Itwill of course be apparent that the material may be cutinto strips 34of suitable length after coming'from the extruding die, and that thesestrips may be rolled or otherwise processed to of-the reel 22having-film.26 thereon, and be rolled into place between the flanges i8and 29. The band I ll may be used over and over again since it does notlose its tension to an appreciable degree. The cylinder 35 is preferablysomewhat smaller than thediameter of the film 25-on which the band is tobe used so as to maintain a degree of tension on the film to securelyhold-itpn the reel 22. If the band I Q should loseyits tension afterrepeated usage it may be reprocessed ,,by heating and wrapping aboutthecylinder 30 or otherwise treated, and-chilled to induce-a.set. This-bandmay be reprocessed anydesired-number of times. It will 'benotedrthatin'use -the innersurface -ofthe. band or corrugations, I2 is,stressed in tension whereasthe: outer .surface is stressed incompression. The band thusrma' tainsthe film tight on .the reel.

It, will-be apparent that, differently" colored bands-can beused-bydifferentfilm exchanges or producers to indicateownershipof thefilms. A portion 32 of the band is roughened asxby a sand blastingoperation to provide a surface suitable for receiving identifyinginformation, relative to the film, written thereon as with a pen orpencil.

-When it is desired to use the band l0 :.on.a differentlfilm thenotations ontheportion 32imay be erased and appropriate identifyinginformation applied relative. to. thefilm withwhichthe band lflisthenxto be used. The identifying information relative to the film'may beappliedv by bands In having portions 34 colored red, the

second colored green, the third yellow etc. through any desired numberof reels required to make up a complete show. Where this expedient isresorted to the projectionist can select the next reel of a sequence ofreels received from the film exchange by referring to the color or" theportion 34 of the band it) encircling the film. After a show hascompleted its run in a particular theatre the projectionist replaces thebands on the reels in accordance with the color schedule beforereturning it to the film exchange. The film may then be more readilychecked and inspected at the exchange because of the ease with which theproper sequence of reels can be located by reference to the colorschedule.

It will be apparent that the band Ii] need not have overlapping ends 14and It as a strip 28 of appropriate length to nearly encircle the film26 may be processed to form a band, the normal resiliency of thematerial maintaining the band tight against the film since to deflect anend of the band outwardly away from the film it is necessary to stressthe outer surface in compression and the inner surface in tension. Wherethis expedient is resorted to both ends M and it of the band may beformed to a progressively reduced radius by contouring portions of theouter surface of the cylinder 30 illustrated in Fig. 5. It will also beapparent that where the band does not have overlapping ends it is onlyneces sary to color as at 34 at one end of the band because neither endof the band is covered up when the band is used.

While the invention has been described with particular reference to aspecific embodiment, the principles involved are susceptible to numerousapplications which will readily occur to persons skilled in this art.

I claim:

. 1. A plastic film reel band adapted to be positioned between the sideflanges of a film reel to engage film wrapped on the reel, the bandhaving transversely disposed circumferentially extending sections ofvarying thicknesses whereby the band tends to assume a substantiallypredetermined 6 position to engage and retain film on the reel due tothe stressing of the outer edge of the band in compression and thestressing of the inner edge of the band in tension.

2. The combination with a motion picture film reel having a hub andspaced side flanges secured to the hub, of a plastic band adapted to bepositioned between the side flanges to engage film wrapped on the hub,the band having transversely disposed circumferentially extendingsections of varying thicknesses whereby due to the creation of internalstress the band tends to assume a substantially predetermined positionto engage and retain film wrapped on the reel.

3. The combination with a plurality of motion picture film reels eachhaving a hub and spaced side flanges secured to the hub, of acorresponding number of plastic bands each adapted to be positionedbetween the side flanges of one of the film reels to engage film wrappedthereon, each band having a plurality of transversely disposedcircumferentially extending sections of varying thicknesses to createinternal stresses within the band to induce it to assume a substantiallypredetermined position to engage and re tain film wrapped on the reel,each of the plastic bands having corresponding portions coloreddifierently to indicate a sequence of said plurality of film reels inaccordance with a color schedule.

ELLSWORTH S. MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

